"Let's see a movie" we said one night. An intriguing plot ("a masterpiece that no one knows its author") led us to this movie. I generally enjoy french films and the length of it (1h36m) was certainly a plus. The film starts out very nice: an unknown writer, who has just published his first unsuccessful book, hears the very interesting story of a library specifically for unsuccessful and unpublished books. His girlfriend, a publisher, visits it and discovers a book that she adores and believes must be published. She does, making famous a random man, former owner of a pizza place and dead for the past three years, and subsequently his family (daughter and wife). A book critic, intrigued by the background of this said "genius", suspects something fishy and decides to uncover the truth. So far so good. This is the first 30 minutes of the movie and the good part for me. The next part is the journey towards the discovery: an utterly boring journey, with the building of a forced love story, between two characters with absolutely no chemistry, because why not. We discover multiple, shallow characters who try to be funny, mysterious and/or angry with the motive of the critic and his research. At one point, before the big break, the co-star actually suggest to stop there and oh, how I wish they would. Because what comes next ruins the whole movie: what's the logic behind publishing a book under a random, unknown person's name, when you yourself are unknown in the first place? I got the "I-did-it-to-win-you-over" game (the "framing" as she puts it), but the rest no, I don't see the good in it.
One thing I truly loved: the book critic, as he was in the beginning: cynical and always speaking his mind, without fear. His lines were the only funny parts in the movie. Of course he becomes a bit lovey-dovey and soppy towards the end, but I forgive him for being the only interesting character in this promising but after all disappointing film.
One thing I truly loved: the book critic, as he was in the beginning: cynical and always speaking his mind, without fear. His lines were the only funny parts in the movie. Of course he becomes a bit lovey-dovey and soppy towards the end, but I forgive him for being the only interesting character in this promising but after all disappointing film.